Senate Democrats have found a Republican in Sen. Lindsey Graham to help them push for passage of a comprehensive immigration overhaul this year.

Democrats and Republicans say Mr. Graham of South Carolina is working behind the scenes with Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) to gain support from other GOP members.

The bill is still taking shape, but it is expected to include key features of unsuccessful 2006 and 2007 immigration proposals, including a path to legal status for many of the illegal immigrants already inside the U.S. and measures to strengthen border security.

A new Gallup poll this week showed Americans less favorable to immigration than they were a year ago, which could make the climate for legislation even tougher. Now 50% of those surveyed say immigration should be decreased, which is up significantly from the 39% who said the same a year ago.

Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.), who led those earlier drives along with Sen. Edward Kennedy (D., Mass.), isn't expected to play a prominent role this year. He faces a primary challenge next year in the state he has represented for more than two decades. One of his opponents is a founder of a controversial group that conducts civilian patrols along the border in search of illegal immigrants.

Lawmakers from both parties, but especially Republicans, have faced intense criticism from populist corners of their constituencies, where there is support for a zero-tolerance, enforcement-only approach to immigration.

Pulling in the other direction for Republicans is strong support from business groups for guest-worker programs, including for high-tech workers, and a way to legalize many of the high- and low-skill foreign laborers already inside the U.S.

The ONLY path to citizenship should be by having every criminal trespasser serving jail time, paying back American Taxpayers all the costs incurred for their welfare, food stamps, medical care, education, etc., etc., and THEN paying a fine equal to $10K/year for every year that they were illegally squatting in our country. Alternatively, they may serve the jailtime, then be deported, with a 5 year wait to re-enter legally.

They are nuts. The natives are already restless because of the health care government takeover plan. We have 10 percent unemployment in this country. And now they think it’s a good idea to bring up amnesty?

[snip]Severed heads, burned bodies, daylight shootouts and dead children are daily fare from Mexico’s Caribbean to its desert border with the United States.......
Last month was the deadliest month of President Felipe Calderon’s nearly three-year army assault on powerful cartels across Mexico with 850 deaths”

The National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers (NAFBPO) extracts and condenses the material that follows from Mexican and Central and South American on-line media sources on a daily basis. You are free to disseminate this information, but we request that you credit NAFBPO as being the provider.

El Universal  Mexico, D.F.  08/05/09

Gangs kidnap the Tecate Border

They operate with impunity, protected by the police, controlling the migratory routes into the U.S. The assaults and sexual molestations experienced by the migrants are minor compared to the ever-increasing kidnappings and homicides.

The Gangs have become more dangerous by virtue of the lack of control by the police, the Secretary of Public Security confirmed. He said the problem could worsen if not dealt with quickly. Over the years the traffic of persons evolved to traffic with assault; then traffic with assault, murder, and rape; and later to traffic with assault, murder, rape and kidnapping.

Kidnapping is a new modality:

In order to extort more money they lock the migrants into houses and call the families to demand more money on top of what already paid for the smuggling north.

Shared problem:

Tijuana has only a few miles of smuggling routes, but Tecate, with almost one half of the 265 kilometers (160 miles) of border, along with Mexicali, is the most problematic.

The area is practically abandoned by the authorities in spite of the fact that the traffic has grown greatly during the past years, said anthropologist Victor Clark Alfaro of the Bi-national Center for Human Rights (CBDH). He added that the traffickers as well as the migrants speak of the complicity of the police, who allow the delinquents to operate for bribes paid.

The Director of the Tecate Municipal Police said that his agents maintain constant patrols, but that the large size of the area does not permit 24 hour coverage.

The Military and Federal Agents have dismantled gangs of kidnappers and rescued victims but, nevertheless, men with long-guns are seen swarming in the area, not bothering to cover their faces nor hide from the police agents. In spite of the extreme temperatures, the risk of falling into a gorge or being bitten by a poisonous snake, the criminal gangs are the greatest danger.

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Milenio  Mexico, D.F.  08/05/09

U.S. Senator stops anti-drug assistance for Mexico

Senator Patrick Leahy (D) has rejected the publication of a letter which affirms that Mexico respects human rights in its war against drug-traffickers. One hundred million dollars in aid are in play. Leahy said that the letter contradicts reports of human rights violations he has received.

The U.S. State Department had anticipated sending a favorable report of human rights just before the U.S. President attended a meeting of North American leaders in Guadalajara this weekend.

The funds in question are part of the Merida Initiative, initiated by President Bush in 2007. The assistance was to support Mexico in stemming the flow of drugs to the U.S. with training for police and the purchase of helicopters and other enforcement equipment.

In the U.S. Congress, preoccupation regarding the possible violation of human rights has grown. It is believed the State Department will rewrite its report before sending it to Congress in September, after summer vacation.

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El Porvenir  Monterrey, Nuevo Leon  08/05/09

Mexican Navy burns more than seven tons of cocaine

The drug was seized in two speedboats operated by five men, who were turned over to the Federal Police. The Mexican Navy burned the drug, seized on July 19 in a joint anti-narcotraffic operation which involved planes from the Mexican Navy, Mexican Airforce, U.S. interagency taskforce, as well as Guatemala and Belize.

The five crewmembers, three Mexicans and two Colombians[,] are in federal custody awaiting prosecution.

The investigations indicate that Beraza was in charge of coordinating the smuggling of synthetic drugs, such as ice and crystal, manufactured in Mexico, into the U.S.

Beraza, under orders from leaders of La Familia Michoacána used the border at Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez to introduce the drugs. According to (DEA) Drug Enforcement Administration sources Beraza was arrested as a result of a joint operation with the Mexican authorities.

The investigations revealed that Hernandez was in charge of extortions, area control and operation of the laboratories, especially in Guerrero. He is also believed involved in recent attacks on the Federal Police in Michoacán.

The (PGR) Federal Prosecutors Office will also resolve the cases against thirty-two persons arrested together with La Troca.

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El Imparcial  Hermosillo, Sonora  08/05/09

Formal prison for seven members of La Familia

The Fifth District Court in the State of Mexico ordered formal prison for seven members of La Familia Michoacána who were arrested last June. The Federal Prosecutor (PGR) informed that the judges found sufficient evidence to prosecute them for organized crime involvement, commercial drug-trafficking and possession of firearms.

The members are charged with being part of a cell in La Familia which dealt in wholesale and retail sales of drugs in the states of Mexico, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Michoacán, Morelos and Guerrero.

The seven were arrested by the Federal Police on June 17 in the State of Mexico with numerous firearms, ammunition, marijuana, cocaine, five vehicles, eleven cell phones and two radios.

20
posted on 08/07/2009 1:30:21 PM PDT
by AuntB
(Tired of Left/right coast globalist party power brokers? How 'bout THE HEARTLAND AMERICA PARTY??)

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